Isaiah 32
1 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice.
Listen to this! Some day there will be a righteous king, and his officials will help him to rule justly/fairly.
2 And every one shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivulets of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a large rock in a languishing land.
Each [of them] will be like [MET] a shelter from the wind and a (refuge/place to be protected) from the storm. They will be like [SIM] streams of water in the desert, like the shade under a huge rock in a very hot and dry land.
3 And the eyes of those that see shall not be blinded again, and the ears of those that hear shall hearken.
When that happens, [those leaders will enable] people who have not understood [MET] [God’s truth] to understand it, and [they will enable] those who have not paid attention to [MET] [God’s truth] to pay attention to it.
4 The heart also of the rash shall be attentive in order to know, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.
[Even] those who act very hastily will have good sense, and those who cannot speak well will speak fluently and clearly.
5 The worthless person shall be no more called liberal, and the avaricious man shall not be said to be bountiful.
[At that time], people who are foolish/unwise will no longer be (admired/looked up to), and scoundrels will no longer be respected.
6 For the worthless person ever speaketh villany, and his heart will work injustice, to practise hypocrisy, and to speak error against the Lord, to leave empty the soul of the hungry, and the drink of the thirsty will he take away.
Foolish people say things that are foolish, and they plan to do evil things. Their behavior is disgraceful, and they say things about Yahweh that are false. They do not give food to those who are hungry, and they do not give water to those who are thirsty.
7 The instruments also of the avaricious man are evil: he deviseth wicked resolves to destroy the poor with words of falsehood, even when the needy speaketh what is right.
Scoundrels do things that are evil and that deceive people; they plan to do evil things; by telling lies [in court] they cause poor people to (have trouble/be convicted), even when what the poor [people] are requesting is fair/just.
8 But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and he ever persisteth by liberal things.
But honorable people plan to do honorable/good things, and they do the honorable/good things that they plan to do.
9 Ye careless women rise up, hear my voice; ye daughters that are secure, give ear unto my speech.
You women [of Jerusalem] who think that you are very secure/safe and think that everything is going well, listen to [IDM] what I say!
10 After days and years shall ye shudder, ye women that are secure; for ended is the vintage, the fruit gathering shall nowise come.
One year from now, you who now (are not worried about anything/think that everything is going well) will tremble, because there will be no grapes for you to harvest and no [other] crops to harvest.
11 Tremble, ye careless women; shudder, ye that are secure, strip off your garments and make yourselves bare, and gird [sackcloth] upon the loins.
[So] tremble [now], you women who are not worried about anything! Take off your [fancy] clothes and put rough sackcloth around your waists.
12 [They shall strike] on the breast, lamenting, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.
Beat/Hit your breasts to show that you are grieving about [what will happen in] your fertile fields and to your fruitful grapevines,
13 Upon the soil of my people thorns and briers shall come up; yea, upon all the houses of joy of the gladsome town.
because [only] thorns and thistles will grow in your soil. Your houses where you had joyful parties and your city where you have been happy will be gone.
14 Because the palace is abandoned, the tumult of the city is forsaken; the hill and watch-tower are become dens for a long time, a joyous haunt for wild asses, a pasture for flocks.
The [king’s] palace will be empty; there will be no people in the city that [now] is very noisy. Wild donkeys will walk around and flocks of sheep will eat grass in the empty forts and watchtowers.
15 Until a spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be changed into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be accounted as a forest.
[It will be like that] until God pours his Spirit out on us from heaven. [When that happens], the deserts will become fertile fields, and abundant crops will grow in those fertile fields.
16 Then shall justice dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.
People [PRS] will act/rule justly/fairly in those desert areas, and people will act/rule righteously in those fertile fields.
17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and security for ever.
And the result of their acting righteously will be that there will be peace, the land will be tranquil/quiet, and people will be secure/safe forever.
18 And then shall my people abide in peaceful dwellings, and secure abodes, and in undisturbed resting-places.
My people will live in their homes peacefully, and safely, and calmly, in places of rest.
19 And it shall spread itself out in the declivity of the forest; and far down in the lowlands shall the city descend.
[Even if a severe] hailstorm knocks down [the trees in] the forest, and [all the buildings in] the city are blown down,
20 Happy are ye that sow beside all waters, freely sending forth the feet of the ox and the ass.
Yahweh [will greatly] bless you; you will plant [seeds in fields] alongside the streams [and there will be abundant crops]. Your donkeys and cattle will easily find grass to eat.
